“I want to tell Kashmiri youth that Azadi isn’t possible. It won’t happen. Don’t get carried away unnecessarily,” said Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat in an interview to The Indian Express.
“ Why are you picking up weapons? We will always fight those who seek Azadi, those who want to secede. (Azadi) is not going to happen, never.”
General Rawat said that he doesn’t attach much importance to the number of militants who are killed in encounters with the Army.
“These numbers don’t matter to me because I know this cycle will continue….I only want to stress that all this is futile..You can’t fight the Army”.
General Rawat said he is perturbed by the killings.
“We don’t enjoy it. But if you want to fight us, then we will fight you with all our force. “
“Kashmiris have to understand that the SFs (security forces) haven’t been so brutal — look at Syria and Pakistan. They use tanks and air power in similar situations.”
“I know that the youth are angry. But attacking security forces, throwing stones at us isn’t the way”.
“I don’t understand why people are coming out in huge numbers to disrupt our operations. Who is inciting them? “
“If they want that the terrorists aren’t killed, they should go and tell them to come out without their weapons so that nobody is killed,’’
“ People are inciting security forces by pelting stones at them to disrupt the operations…they are inciting security forces to become more aggressive.’’
“The Army did try a soft approach too. Until June 2016, everything was fine. What is that incited people so much because of that one encounter? (in which Hizbul’s Burhan Wani was killed).”
“The Kashmiri youth have gotten themselves in Pakistan’s trap. They are being consistently incited to attack us”.
“ I understand there isn’t a military solution to this issue. This is why we want politicians, political representatives to go into villages especially in South Kashmir to talk to people.”
“ But they are scared that they will be attacked. It will happen once there is calm. “
The Army chief said he is “ready to suspend” military operations to avoid civilian casualties.
“But who will guarantee that there won’t be fire at our men, at our vehicles? Who will guarantee that policemen, political workers, our men returning home on leave aren’t attacked, aren’t killed?’’
“Young people are getting excited by IS flags. Do you know what that means? ““Do you want to Talibanise Kashmir? Do you want Kashmir to turn into such a society? Do you want to live in such a society?”
